Gangsters of Olympus
by WingedMouse
Summary: Nico gets worried that his friends are breaking up. Meanwhile, he's been having mysterious nightmares that he won't tell even Jason or Will about. Jason gets paranoid, and Nico's closest friends get together to try to help him, but only succeeding in confirming Nico's suspicions that people are getting into crowds...
1. Chapter 1

Nico di Angelo never wanted to be part of a huge group of friends. Well, he still doesn't, but he doesn't despise the idea like he used to. A couple friends were okay. Not, say, a camp of half- gods.

Alas, ever since Will Solace started making him participate in every social activity, he became more and more popular. Of course, the Seven – or rather, the three of the Seven currently present – were the stars. But because he was with them for a part of their quest, he was treated special, too. And, according to Jason and Will and other dumb blondes, he was fun when he wasn't conscious of it, especially when he was with Mrs O'Leary or Little Bob or Cerberus or any other Underworld pet.

Everyone talks about the "Seven". "I personally know the Seven." "It was the Seven that saved the world from Earth." "The Seven must have nightmares every night, from what they've seen." "Sure, the Seven did well. . . But I'm sure I could've done _great_."

Everyone thinks the Seven are now some kind of gang. Not the _bad_ kind, necessarily – but a large group of friends, with some followers (Reyna, Will, Grover, Clarisse, and, yes, Nico).

But that isn't really true. Even the Seven are split. Not in a bad way, just that they're really good friends, but everyone has their besties.

Examples: Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Thalia; Piper, Jason, Leo and Calypso; Frank, Hazel, and Reyna.

And Nico found himself constantly surrounded by Will (duh) and his friends, Cecil and Lou Ellen. Occasionally Kayla and/or Austin, and Jason always made sure he was never really alone. He realized that he went from being surrounded by mindless souls and dark walls to having someone (living) by his side at all times.

He wasn't really complaining.

All of this was going through Nico's head when it was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Nico had been lying in bed. Startled, he jolted upright. He instinctively leapt out of bed and answered the door that had beckoned him.

He opened the door and had to raise his head to see the summoner, they were so close.

"Oh!" The person who had knocked took a startled step back. "I hadn't expected you to come so quickly."

Nico stifled a smirk and frowned. It was Jason.

"What do you want so early in the morning?" Nico asked, yawning exaggeratedly.

"I was wondering if you were awake. I'm bored," Jason claimed.

Nico groaned. He stepped aside. "Fine, you can come in. But only because you'll get eaten if you stay out there any longer."

"Thanks," Jason said, stepping inside. The boys heard a screech from above that made them both jump. A harpy swooped down gracefully from the sky, looking angry. Nico slammed the door on her face.

Nico turned back to Jason, scowling, taken aback when he realized that Jason was grinning.

"What?" Nico asked suspiciously.

"Huh? Oh, nothing, just relief. She was going to claw my face off."

"Yeah, leaving your cabin while it's still dark outside isn't exactly a way to befriend those oh- so-friendly harpies," Nico said sarcastically. He went back to his bed and flopped over, staring at the ceiling.

The boys were silent for a minute.

Jason sighed and fell onto the other bed, the one that Hazel slept in whenever the Romans visited.

"Do you ever get lonely?" Jason asked. It was such an ironic question, Nico let out a quiet laugh. He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing hysterically.

"What?"

Nico turned to see that Jason had turned his intense, curious ice-blue eyes on him.

Nico bit his lip to keep from smirking. "Nothing. That was just a funny question since I was just thinking about that before you came, how I spend nine out of twenty-four hours every day alone. Well, except for today. Eight."

"Yeah, I know," Jason said, grinning. "I meant in the cabin. It's so empty and uninhabited."

" _I_ inhabit it," Nico objected. "And besides, you have it worse. You're alone with a big statue of your _dad_ staring down at you all night, the creep, and the cabin must be fifty-ish feet tall. Talk about lonely, especially with your sister's stuff right across the room."

"I'm not saying I don't get lonely. That's why I'm here," Jason said dismissively. "But you're avoiding the question. Do _you_ get lonely?"

Nico pretended to think about it. "I find it relieving," he lied. "During the day, I'm constantly surrounded by blondes, being passed back and forth between you and your crowd and Will and his – uh, _our_ crowd. At night, I'm dismissed from all the chaos and activities and . . . You know . . . ." he trailed off, observing Jason's face. He immediately knew he'd said something wrong, and that he wasn't fooling anyone.

"What'd I say?" Nico inquired.

Jason narrowed his eyes. "My . . . _crowd_?"

 _Oh_ , Nico thought. _Whoops_.

"Nico," Jason said slowly _,_ "who, exactly, is in my crowd?"

"Uh . . ." Nico tried to find a way out of this conversation, but came up empty. "Leo, Piper? . . .And Drew, I guess, occasionally. . . ."

"My friends?"

"Well, yes, the friends that you hang out with the most," Nico snapped, playing defense now. "I would call that a crowd, dunno what you'd call it, but that's what I mean."

"If a crowd consists of the people I hang out with most," Jason ventured, "wouldn't that mean you're in my 'crowd', too?"

"Well, no, because . . . Umm. . . ." _I have Will, Cecil, and Lou Ellen_ was what came to mind, but that just sounded mean. Instead, he, said (a bit sarcastically), "You think Will would let me? 'Doctor's orders', he'd say – "

"You and I both know that's not true,"Jason accused. "Will has only been trying to get you to make more friends, not confining you to a _crowd_."

Unable to argue any longer, Nico pulled his blanket over his head and pressed his hands to his ears.

"I'm tired," he lied. "You got me up early. I'm going back to sleep."

Jason responded, but his voice was inaudible through the blanket and Nico's hands.

Nico actually did fall asleep, after a while. He dreamed he was in a junkyard. The sky had a reddish hue to it, and there was a sense of danger in the air.

Nico turned around warily. _Where am I?_ he wondered. Then he heard a sound; a loud noise, of steel and junk pressing into each other.

Nico blinked; When he opened his eyes, he was . . . taller? Yes, he was definitely taller. His head felt heavier, as if he had longer hair. He tried to reach up to check, but he couldn't move.

Then he saw a pair of familiar sea-green eyes resting on him. They flickered with – panic? Suspicion? Bewilderment? Possibly all three, before turning on something else.

He tried to follow Percy's gaze, and his eyes responded, but they seemed detached. As if he wasn't in control of his body. As if . . . he was in someone else's body.

Bianca.

Nico didn't have much time to ponder this before he saw what Percy and Bianca were looking at – A huge, angry giant made of junk. Nico vaguely remembered the name _Talos_.

Talos took an earth-shaking step forward.

A different, recognizable voice yelped, "Run!"

Grover. That was definitely Grover. So, Percy, Bianca, Grover. Junkyard . . . .

Nico suddenly realized where he was, and a Hunter's arrow flying by confirmed his suspicions. This was Hephaestus's junkyard.

The place Bianca died.


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh, please. You weren't asleep," Jason objected. Nico didn't answer. Jason sighed. Did Nico really think of Piper, Leo, and him as a _crowd_? _Why_? Jason shook his head. "There are no _crowds_ ," he muttered. "No crowds, separations, divisions, gangs, packs, _nada_. He should know that. You should know that," Jason added more loudly.

Nico still didn't answer. Jason, frustrated, got up and went to Nico's bed. He grabbed the velvety black blanket and yanked it off Nico's head.

"Now, why –" Jason cut himself off. Nico had his hands over his ears, his eyes closed, his breathing deep. " – are you asleep?" Jason finished quizzically, changing his question halfway through. He shrugged and gently lay the blanket back over Nico.

Not wanting to go back outside and face the harpies, Jason went back to the other bed and lay down, trying to get back to sleep. After ten or so minutes, he did.

Jason had no dreams, which was rare for a demigod. But he didn't get his back the hour he'd interrupted when he'd come to the cabin because he was awoken by a loud voice, shouting, "No!"

Jason's eyes flew open. He quickly turned to Nico.

The younger boy was distressed. On his forehead was a sheen of sweat, and his large, brown eyes were wide and wet. His raven-colored hair was sticking up everywhere, and he was breathing hard. His blanket was on the ground. Nico himself was on the edge of the bed.

Nico blinked hard and took a deep breath.

Jason immediately stood and went to sit by Nico.

"You okay?" he asked. "Nightmare?" Even before the words left his mouth, Jason knew the answer. No, Nico was not okay. And no, it wasn't a nightmare. It was something far worse.

But Nico just nodded and blinked again. He swallowed hard and opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it again.

He wasn't quick enough, though, that Jason didn't hear the small whimper that escaped Nico's lips.

Nico lay down again slowly, unsteadily. He kept his eyes open wide.

"Nico," Jason said almost frantically, "do you need me to get Will?"

Nico shook his head. Jason got up anyway. He hurried out the door and raced to the Apollo cabin.

Before he barged in, he realized that the Apollo kids were probably still sleeping. And, being the descendants of the god of healing, they would not take kindly to being awoken this early, even though it was almost breakfast time.

Jason knocked quietly and opened the door as silently as he could. Sure enough, all of the beds were occupied by sleeping demigods.

Well, he wouldn't be forgiven if he woke the whole cabin, but Will was excusable. Jason tiptoed over to Will's bed and shook his shoulder carefully.

Will's eyelids opened. _Light sleeper_ , Jason thought. Will propped himself up on one elbow and eyed Jason, his expression half curious, half annoyed.

Actually, it was mostly annoyed.

"Mm hmm?" Will said expectantly, keeping his voice quiet.

"I'm sorry for waking you," Jason whispered, "but we've got a problem." He quickly explained Nico's state.

"I'm sure it's just a nightmare," Jason concluded, "but I thought you might want to know."

Will was alert, all annoyance disappeared. He got up and raised a finger. _Wait_.

He turned and went into the bathroom. When he came out, he was fully dressed, and his shaggy hair was well brushed.

"Let's go," he said quietly, and lead the way out the door and to the Hades cabin.

Jason followed. As soon as they got inside, Will rushed over and sat on the bed next to Nico.

Jason was appalled once again by Nico's appearance. He'd given up on holding back tears, and his eyes were red and puffy. All they could see of him was his eyes and above. The rest of him was covered in blanket, from his feet to his nose.

"Nico," Will said in a calm voice, his expression completely changed from the urgent one he'd worn outside. His eyes were soft, as was his complexion, and he sounded like he was coaxing a wary puppy out of a corner.

"Nico," Will repeated. "Are you feeling okay?"

Jason's eyes widened in disbelief. Did Nico _look_ okay?!

 _It's okay_ , he told himself. _Will knows what he's doing. He knows Nico better than anybody, possibly better than I do._

Nico shook his head slightly, but his shaky words contrasted. "I am fine. You shouldn't have come – you need to sleep."

"That sounds a bit backwards," Will joked gently. "You know, you need to sleep, too. But there's some reason why you aren't . . . ."

Jason finally understood Will's tactic. Start unharmingly, slowly work the way to the main problem. Jason would've asked over and over what Nico had seen.

"Just a nightmare," Nico insisted. "I was planning on going right . . . back to s-sleep."

No, he wasn't. Jason could tell that much, and Will could, too.

"Well, obviously sleep isn't doing you any good," Will claimed. "What did you dream that woke you?"

"No," Nico whispered. "Not a dream." When Will's eyes widened in terror, Nico quickly added, "Not that kind of dream. Or . . . not dream. Wha – ugh." Nico shook his head, confusing himself with his own words. "It was a nightmare, not the future-prophecy thing. Wouldn't you be able to tell, though? With your dad being the god of prophecy and all?"

Will visibly relaxed. "No, I'm gifted in healing," he explained.

"But what about Kay -" Nico began.

"Kayla and Austin know some healing techniques," Will said. "They can't do stuff I can."

Jason could see the subject taking an abrupt turn. He stepped forward, mouth open, when Will shot him a warning glance.

 _Right. Mr Doctor Boy knows his stuff_ , Jason thought grumpily.

"What 'stuff' can you do?" Nico asked.

 _Boom_. So that was Will's plan. Nico had brought the conversation back to himself without even knowing.

"Hmm. Stuff like this." Will pressed a hand to Nico's forehead. After a second, he drew back.

"95.4° Fahrenheit," Will said. "2.1 degrees below your average, 3.1 degrees below the average person. Meaning you're definitely afraid . . . I guess in shock would be accurate," he added matter-of-factly.

Nico's eyes widened, then closed. Immediately they snapped open again.

"So what," Nico grumbled. "It's nothing." He turned away and said nothing more.

"Would you mind if I stayed here?" Will asked Nico, who said "mm" but didn't really object.

Will then settled himself on the bed, so he was lying, facing the ceiling. His arm rested on Nico's.

 _That probably helps_ , Jason thought. After all, Will was a couple degrees warmer in general than Nico, so it should feel relaxing enough.

Jason was afraid, though, for Nico's sake. He obviously didn't want to fall back asleep, but in this position . . . .

Jason stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before saying, "Well, I, erm . . . I guess I should head back . . . ."

Will opened one eye. "Okay. Thanks, by the way. For getting me."

"No problem," Jason said, before leaving Will and Nico in peace.


End file.
